Mid-band PPN InGaN solar cell for indoor visible light communication in 5G/6G applications

Abstract

Recently, solar cells have been simultaneously used as energy harvester and receiver in free-space optical (FSO) communication networks. In this study, a mid-band p-In0.01Ga0.99N/p-In0.5Ga0.5N/n-In0.5Ga0.5N (PPN) solar cell that achieved a conversion efficiency of 26.36% (under 1.5 AM condition) was used as a receiver for an indoor FSO communication network. Considering that this solar cell had a length and width of 1 mm, the FSO system was simulated using Optisystm software. Meanwhile, the solar cell was simulated using SCAPS-1D software. The power received from the solar cell was compared with those of four commercially available avalanche photodiode (APD) receivers. Incident wavelength was varied in the visible region from 400 nm to 700 nm for transmission lengths of 5, 10, 15, and 20 m. The current–voltage and power–voltage curves were presented at different incident wavelengths and transmission distances. The InGaN solar cell provides more electrical power than all the commercial APDs. In conclusion, an increase in received power can improve the quality of an FSO network and support longer transmission length.